Now that inclement weather is here, power outages may become more likely. We would like to advise you on what a loss of power could mean for your home’s water supply and what you should do if it affects your water. Any loss of power means you could lose complete water pressure and water to your home. A pressure loss can impact water quality and subsequently public health, and we want you to be prepared if this ever happens.
If you lose complete water pressure or find that water is not available at your tap, you should:
- Call Washington Water (877) 408-4060 to report the water outage. . You can also check with your power provider to confirm whether an outage has occurred.
- Once power and water are restored, boil your tap water before drinking. As a precaution, bring all water to a rolling boil for one minute. Let it cool before using. You should use boiled or purchased bottled water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and preparing food. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
Though unlikely, when pressure loss occurs, contamination from the environment can be drawn into the water system. If this were to occur it is possible that contaminants can cause short-term health effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. Please remember that symptoms described above can occur from exposures other than drinking water. It is because of the potential health effects we ask you to boil your water during a water loss situation.
In the event you do not have water service, the Washington Water team will work to restore your water service; however, inclement weather may delay this process. Please be patient during this time.
Once water is restored, we will collect samples for water quality testing. When we have satisfactory results that confirm that your water is safe to drink without boiling, we will notify you using the contact information we have for you on file. We will also post to our website updates related to water outages. Please take a moment to update your communication preferences in your online customer account.
See our How should I prepare for winter? FAQ for additional tips and information.
Please be safe as we enter our most severe weather months, and if you have any questions, please call our Customer Service Center. We can be reached toll free at (877) 408-4060 or (888) 490-3741, or by email at [email protected].